Synchronous rectifier control device and forward synchronous rectifier circuit

• US 20090161396A1
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Niko Semiconductor Co., Ltd
• Original Assignee: Niko Semiconductor Co., Ltd
• Inventors: Lin, Chun-Ming, Pan, Hsin-Yu
• Granted Patent: US 7,864,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 363/125
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33592 having a synchronous rectifier circuit or a synchronous freewheeling circuit at the secondary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

Disclosed are a synchronous rectifier control device and a forward synchronous rectifier circuit. The synchronous rectifier control device is coupled with the secondary side of the forward synchronous rectifier circuit, comprising a condition detecting unit, a reference time circuit and a synchronous signal generator. The condition detecting unit receives at least one reference signal and a detecting signal in response to the condition of the secondary side of the forward synchronous rectifier circuit, and accordingly generates a first synchronous control signal. The reference time circuit is coupled with the condition detecting unit, and generates a reference time signal in response to the first synchronous control signal. The synchronous signal generator generates a second synchronous control signal in response to the first synchronous control signal and the reference time signal.

Claims

1. A synchronous rectifier control device coupled with the secondary side of a forward synchronous rectifier circuit, which includes:

a condition detecting unit, which receives a detecting signal, representing the condition on the secondary side of the forward synchronous rectifier circuit, and at least one reference signal, and generates a first synchronous control signal accordingly;

a reference time circuit, which is coupled with the condition detecting unit, and generates a reference time signal based on the first synchronous control signal; and

a synchronous signal generator, which generates a second synchronous control signal according to the first synchronous control signal and the reference time signal;

wherein, when the time period of the first synchronous control signal is shorter than the time period of the reference time signal, the synchronous signal generator stops generating the second synchronous control signal.

2. The synchronous rectifier control device according to claim 1, wherein the reference time signal can be adjusted by means of adjusting the time period which is based on a resistance value.

3. The synchronous rectifier control device according to claim 1, wherein the reference time signal can be adjusted by means of adjusting the time period which is based on a capacitance value.

4. The synchronous rectifier control device according to claim 2, wherein the synchronous signal generator includes an inverter and a time period adjuster, in which the inverter generates a inverted signal based on the first synchronous control signal, and the time period adjuster reduces the duration of the inverted signal so as to generate an adjusting signal.

5. The synchronous rectifier control device according to claim 3, wherein the synchronous signal generator includes an inverter and a time period adjuster, in which the inverter generates an inverted signal based on the first synchronous control signal, and the time period adjuster reduces the duration of the inverted signal so as to generate an adjusting signal.

6. The synchronous rectifier control device according to claim 4, wherein the synchronous signal generator further includes a signal processor, in which the signal processor receives the adjusting signal and the reference time signal, and when the time period of the first synchronous control signal is longer than the time period represented by the reference time signal, the signal processor outputs the adjusting signal as the second synchronous control signal, whereas when the time period of the first synchronous control signal is shorter than the time period represented by the reference time signal, the signal processor stops outputting the second synchronous control signal.

7. The synchronous rectifier control device according to claim 5, wherein the synchronous signal generator further includes a signal processor, in which the signal processor receives the adjusting signal and the reference time signal, and when the time period of the first synchronous control signal is longer than the time period represented by the reference time signal, the signal processor outputs the adjusting signal as the second synchronous control signal, whereas when the time period of the first synchronous control signal is shorter than the time period represented by the reference time signal, the signal processor stops outputting the second synchronous control signal.

8. The synchronous rectifier control device according to claim 2, wherein the condition detecting unit is a hysteresis comparator, and receives a first reference voltage, a second reference voltage and the detecting signal, and when the detecting signal is higher than the first reference voltage, the condition detecting unit outputs the first synchronous control signal, and when the detecting signal is lower than the second reference voltage, the condition detecting unit stops outputting the first synchronous control signal, in which the first reference voltage is higher than the second reference voltage.

9. The synchronous rectifier control device according to claim 3, wherein the condition detecting unit is a hysteresis comparator, and receives a first reference voltage, a second reference voltage and the detecting signal, and when the detecting signal is higher than the first reference voltage, the condition detecting unit outputs the first synchronous control signal, and when the detecting signal is lower than the second reference voltage, the condition detecting unit stops outputting the first synchronous control signal, in which the first reference voltage is higher than the second reference voltage.

10. The synchronous rectifier control device according to claim 3, wherein the reference time circuit includes a current source, a first switch, a second switch, a comparator, a rising edge trigger, a resistor and a capacitor, in which the first switch performs switching based on the first synchronous control signal so as to control the charging process from the current source to the capacitor via the resistor, and the rising edge trigger generates a rising edge triggering signal based on the first synchronous control signal, the second switch performs switching based on the rising edge triggering signal so as to discharge the capacitor, and the comparator compares the voltage in the capacitor with a third reference voltage so as to generate the reference time signal.

11. A forward synchronous rectifier circuit, which includes:

a converting unit, having a primary side and a second side, wherein the primary side is coupled with an input voltage, so as to convert the power from the input voltage source to an output voltage on the secondary side;

a first switch, coupled with the primary side of the converting unit;

a pulse width modulation controller, controlling the switching of the first switch based on a detecting signal of the output voltage;

a synchronous rectifier switch unit, having a second switch and a third switch, in which the synchronous rectifier switch unit is coupled with the secondary side of the converting unit so as to rectify the output voltage; and

a synchronous rectifier control device, coupled with the secondary side of the converting unit, and generating a first synchronous control signal and a second synchronous control signal based on the condition on the secondary side so as to respectively control the second switch and the third switch, wherein the synchronous rectifier controller stops generating the second synchronous control signal when the time period of the first synchronous control signal is shorter than a predetermined time period.

12. The forward synchronous rectifier circuit according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined time period can be adjusted based on a resistance value.

13. The forward synchronous rectifier circuit according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined time period can be adjusted based on a capacitance value.

14. The forward synchronous rectifier circuit according to claim 11, wherein a time lag exists between the third switch cutoff and the second switch conducting.